


You're An Ass, But I Still Love You.

by J_Free



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-06
Updated: 2013-08-15
Packaged: 2017-12-22 14:35:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/914342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/J_Free/pseuds/J_Free
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Gavin is mute and definitely in love, Michael is definitely an asshole and Barbara is going to kill him.</p>
<p>I saw a post on tumblr and I really wanted to write it, I'm sorry if it's not what was wanted but I'm really enjoying writing this. http://buttskun.tumblr.com/post/57438889381/what-about-high-school-au-where-gavins-always</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A bet is made and a heart is broken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Gavin is mute and definitely in love, Michael is definitely an asshole and Barbara is going to kill him.

“Gavin, you're staring again.” Barbara's voice broke through Gavin's reverie and he flushed, ears crimson as he shook his head and signed defensively _'No I wasn't!'_ Barbara scoffed and rolled her eyes, looking around the crowded lunch room. “Oh please. Like I believe that one. Come on Gavin, we all know you've got a major crush on him. Why I'll never know but hey.” she sighed, sipping her milk quietly. _'He's really cool, and very talented.'_ The smile Gavin wore was dumb and dreamy and she rolled her eyes again, snapping in front of his face. “He's a jackass. He doesn't deserve your attention anyway. Also, not making a good effort to 'hide' your feelings.” Barbara snickered, making quotes in the air with her fingers. Gavin squeaked and flailed his hands at her and she just started to laugh, throwing a banana at him before kicking her feet slightly. “No but seriously, he's not worth it Gavin. He's a real asshole.” Gavin fiddled with the edge of his tray, biting his lip. _'I know, but you can't help who you like, even if they are a right prat.'_ Barbara frowned and sighed, running a hand through her hair. “Just be careful, okay?” She didn't want to see him hurt by his feelings for Michael.

Ray leaned backwards against the edge of the table as he looked around the room. That weird mute kid was staring at Michael again and he snorted. “Hey Michael, guess who's staring again.” Michael was listening to Geoff talk about his newest tattoo when Ray spoke. “Huh. Really now?” He had a vague impression that Gavin liked him, but what was new about that? Everyone liked Michael, he was popular despite his anger issues and he was hot; if he did say so himself. But being the captain of the football team was what made him so popular in the first place. Ray nodded, tapping his fingers against the table before he grinned wickedly. “Dude, we're due for some entertainment y'know. We haven't had a good bet in a while.” The mention of a bet caught the attention of the others and they all turned their attention to Ray. “What'd you have in mind?” Even Geoff was interested, leaning forward as Ray smirked. “We all know that Gavin kid's got a fat crush on Michael right?” Everyone chuckled and nodded, but Michael felt a weight in his stomach and a bad feeling settled in his chest. “So, how about this. Michael I'll give you two hundred dollars to go ask him on a date right now. If you don't do it? You've got to come to school in a dress.” Michael didn't want to do it, but the money was tempting; and the punishment made him cringe. He'd had his eye on a new game system lately and that would be more than enough to cover what he was missing. “Yeah. Alright you're on fucker.”

Ray looked like the cat that caught the canary and they shook hands before Michael was pushing up from the table. Palms flat against the tabletop as he stood and got off the bench. It wasn't like he'd never asked someone out on a date before, this was no different after all; right? Gavin didn't notice him approaching the table until he cleared his throat slightly. His eyes went wide and he stared at Michael, a flush curling along his neck and up to his cheeks. The blonde girl who was sitting with Gavin fixed him with a look that Michael wasn't fond of but still he turned on his charm and flashed Gavin a grin. “Hey there. You're Gavin right?” Gavin nodded quickly, wiping his sweaty hands on his pants. Barbara was still looking at him like she could see straight through him and it was unnerving. “So, I was just wondering Gavin.” he purred, leaning forwards to rest a hand on the table. “You want to go on a date tonight?” The look on Gavin's face made a heavy pang of guilt shoot through Michael but he nodded eagerly. _'I'd love to!'_ He was beaming, excitement evident in the way he signed. “Sweet. I'll meet you at the Italian place just downtown at nine.” Gavin nodded, face aglow with excitement and a deep red flush. Michael winked before standing and heading back to his own table, ignoring the murderous look Barbara shot him.

Gavin's heart was beating a mile an hour and he felt like it was going to burst from his chest and he was beaming at Barbara. She was worried about it all, she didn't trust Michael at all, why would he suddenly recognise Gavin after all this time? “Listen Gav...” she started to talk but Gavin just made a breathy squeaking noise and hid his face in his hands. _'He asked me out Barbs!!!'_ She smiled weakly at him and sighed. “Yeah, I heard, remember? I was sitting right here.” If he hurt Gavin, Michael Jones would have to face her wrath. He flailed his hands around and she laughed softly. _'Ah bollocks! What am I gonna wear? I need your help Barbs please!'_ He gave her the biggest pair of puppy eyes he could muster up and she snorted. Pressing her hand to his face, she rolled her eyes and lifted her shoulders into a shrug. “Sure, why not Gavin.” His excitement was cute none the less, and she found herself really hoping Michael wasn't doing this to be a dick.

The rest of the day flashed by, Gavin was a nervous wreck the entire time. He couldn't stop bouncing around, his hands trembling a little every time he'd sign something. The bell couldn't ring fast enough and he practically darted from the room and subsequently the school building when it finally did. His whole body was full of a nervous energy and by the time Barbara showed up he thought he was going to explode. _'Michael Jones asked me on a date Barbs. Can you believe it? Me! I feel like I'm going mental.'_ He was jittery with nervous excitement and she rolled her eyes. “Someone's gotta calm you down dude. You look like you're two seconds from blasting into space.” She was right and he stopped, pressing his hands to his eyes and then against his chest as he breathed in deeply. _'I just never thought he'd pick me. I mean, I've always hoped he would but...'_ Gavin trailed off and Barbara slung an arm over his shoulder. “How couldn't he want to pick you? You're a real catch mister Free. Now, let's get to your house so we can get you ready.” She'd never been interested in her friend, but it didn't mean she didn't think Gavin was a wonderful person. He'd been teased since he was a young teen about not being able to speak, but he never let it get to him, always smiling instead. His answer was always, 'it's not their fault they don't understand.' and even though it frustrated Barbara, he was right, often they didn't understand him. They didn't understand his strange way of talking in so many ways that didn't involve his voice.

They had hours to get ready, six hours until Gavin was going to go on this date. Barbara hoped that Michael wouldn't just be screwing with Gavin, that the jock wasn't going to be an asshole and he was actually interested in Gavin. It made her heart hurt to think someone might do that, but she shoved it aside because she wanted to be happy for Gavin. It wasn't hard to be happy in his presence, the way he flitted around his bedroom, nervous excitement pouring off of him as he dumped his backpack onto the bed and picked up clothes idly. _'I don't know what to wear, there's so many choices.'_ Barbara shook her head to focus back on him, dumping her own bag onto his bed. Tapping her chin lightly, she looked around and headed to his closet. He dressed so casually all the time and she huffed out. “Jeez Gavin. Do you own something other than t-shirts?” she looked over her shoulder at him and he paused. _'Er. Well I have a few button ups but I don't wear them a whole lot.'_ Barbara nodded and flipped through his hung clothes until she found a deep purple button up. “Well you're wearing one tonight. Mmm. Maybe with black jeans.” she tapped her chin again and pulled the shirt, turning to lay it on the bed. Gavin nodded, fishing a pair of neat black jeans from his drawers. _'Are these okay?'_ Barbara nodded and walked over to him, scrutinising his appearance. “Alright, go get changed into this. Then we'll see what we have to work with.”

Gavin grabbed the clothes from the bed and headed into the bathroom to change. He hated the way the button up shirt sat, it felt awkward and stiff after all of his t-shirts and he grimaced before walking back into his bedroom. He looked uncomfortable and Barbara chuckled softly. “C'mere idiot.” He took a few steps towards her and she stood, unbuttoning the first button of his shirt so it sat at his collarbones and he didn't look so buttoned up. Nodding, she looked him over again before gesturing at his arm. “Give me your arm.” Gavin was confused, but he lifted his arm none the less, settling it into her open hands. She works on unbuttoning the buttons at his wrist and rolling the sleeves up to his elbows. Satisfied, she nods a bit and looks him over again. “Alright, let's take care of your hair.” Gavin nodded a bit and ran a hand through his unruly hair. It took them a bit, but between the two of them, fussing and flailing; on Gavin's part, they get his hair neatly styled in a messy casual look. He looked put together in a casual way and Barbara had to admit he looked pretty attractive like that.

Two hours down and Gavin was bouncing his leg up and down at his desk while Barbara copied his homework. At three hours he'd been pacing for an hour and she'd thrown a pillow at him and told him to occupy himself before he wore a hole into his floor. At three and a half he'd resigned himself to a video game until it was time to drive over to the restaurant. Barbara watched him as he continued to die and she chuckled a little. “Alright lover boy, you ready to go?” Gavin's hands tightened on his controller and he swallowed before signing weakly. _'Can I back out?'_ As much as Barbara wanted to tell him yes, she shook her head. If Michael was actually there it would ruin Gavin's one chance with him, no matter how much Michael didn't deserve it anyway. “No way, you've gotta charm the pants off him so I can plan your wedding.” Gavin laughed, that breathy little way he did when he relaxed and she smiled. “C'mon, let's go.” He nodded, standing and brushing something imaginary off his jeans. _'How do I look?'_ Barbara squeezed his shoulder and grabbed her keys, leading him from the house. “Like a million bucks dude. You look great.” Gavin's smile was impossible and she smiled back, pushing him gently. “Get a move on Gav, you don't want to keep him waiting.” Gavin jumped and shook his head before jogging out of the house and over to her car. Barbara chuckled a little and locked the door behind her before following him over. She remembered the first time she met Gavin and how she'd thought he was a little odd. What are the odds she'd have ended up his best friend.

They got to the restaurant and Gavin was a trembling mess until Barbara squeezed his hand. “You'll knock him dead. Text me if you need a ride yeah?” Gavin nodded and slipped out of the car. He smoothed down his shirt and flashed Barbara a big grin and a thumbs up. She gave him a thumbs up in response and grinned before pulling out of the parking lot and back to her own home. Gavin was still trembling as he went inside, the Maître'd smiled at him and asked him how many people would be joining him. Gavin wiped his hand against his leg, smiling a bit before raising his hand with two fingers up. The man nodded and grabbed two menus before leading Gavin through the restaurant. He found himself sitting at a nice little table in the back of the restaurant, a menu in front of him and he bounced his leg nervously. The waitress was a pretty little brunette with a pleasant smile and she asked if he wanted anything to drink. He picked up his menu and pointed at the word “water”, smiling shyly. She smiled and nodded walking off, leaving Gavin to tap his fingers on the table and wonder where Michael was. At twenty minutes in he finally ordered, well maybe Michael was just held up, it would be better to order food and just sit and chat with Michael when he got there. Forty minutes in he was staring at his cellphone, watching the minutes tick by.

His food came out and he thanked the waiter, frowning a bit before he started eating. Gavin waited for what felt like hours, after an hour he felt tears prick at his eyes and he rubbed them away with a sniffle. Standing on trembling legs, he paid for his food and walked outside. He felt his phone in his pocket and he debated texting Barbara to have her pick him up, but he didn't want her to know he was stood up. Stood up. Just thinking the very words made him start to cry, shoulders trembling as he slid down the wall and pulled his knees to his chest. It was late but he couldn't will himself to move. He must have been there for another hour before he finally drug himself to his feet, eyes red and puffy from crying and he sniffled. His phone vibrated and he looked at it, rubbing at his eyes to clear the tears away. **-Hey Gav. How was the date eh? ;)- -it was good barbs. we had a lot of fun.-** Lying to his best friend wasn't something he wanted to do, in fact, all he wanted to do was curl up in bed with someone and just cry. Instead, he shoved his phone back in his pocket and made his way home.

He wasn't sure how long it took him to get home, but he was absolutely miserable. His whole body felt heavy and cold and he barely managed to bother stripping out of the stupid clothes before he was curling in on himself and burying beneath the blankets. Stood up. God he felt like such a fool, why would Michael Jones want him anyway? He could have any girl in the whole school, so why waste his time on the 'mute kid'? Gavin wasn't sure how long he cried, but he fell asleep curled as tight as possible, wishing he'd never gone.


	2. Fire-Breathing Barbara To The Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin is hurt, Barbara is furious and Michael is...guilty?

When Barbara got to school the next day, it was obvious something was very wrong. Gavin met her in the parking lot like normal, but he looked miserable. He was tucked into a large sweatshirt and his eyes bore dark circles beneath them. She forced herself to walk calmly to him as he held out her bag, fingers trembling and his eyes on the ground. Automatically she assumed the worst, did Michael hurt him? What happened to make him shut down so badly? Her hands found his shoulders and moved to cup his cheeks and he finally looked at her. He looked so hurt, his eyes sad and glistening with tears. “Oh Gav...” her voice was barely above a whisper and she was pulling him into her arms, holding him tightly as he started to cry quietly. His shoulders were shaking and he clung to her, fingers curling in the back of her sweater.

She let him stand that way, clinging to her until his tears stopped falling and her shoulder was damp. “What happened? Did he hurt you?” she asked, trying to make her voice as gentle as possible, he was already upset enough, he didn't need her sounding frustrated. Gavin looked at her and Barbara's heart ached. He looked so upset and frustrated _'He stood me up.'_ Those four words hit her like a ton of bricks and her chest felt tight. That fucking asshole. _'You were right, I'm sorry I didn't listen Barbs. He's a real prick.'_ Gavin looked so hopeless when he said it, the excited glimmer he'd shown all day yesterday was definitely gone and she was going to kill Michael Jones for this. How dare he hurt Gavin this way? Who did he think he was, standing him up after getting his hopes up this far? By the time Barbara made her way to her first class her blood was boiling. She wanted to throttle him, just because he was popular he felt like he could treat people this badly and get away with it, and the stupid thing was? He could and he'd still have girls and guys lining up for a chance with him. It made her angry in a way she'd never been angry. She was definitely going to show him.

Barbara was still fuming as they entered the lunch room. She practically slammed her tray onto the table next to Gavin and he jumped, looking at her with a confused expression. She watched Michael stand there and laugh with his friends, he had the gall to look sheepish and embarrassed. But when the money passed hands, it clicked for her and she saw red. That's why Michael had come over so suddenly, that's why he asked him on a date and then ditched him. She slammed her hands on the table, startling Gavin again before she stormed across the lunchroom to where Michael stood with the rest of the jocks. “Michael Jones.” He turned around, still laughing and still wearing that stupid smile. She wanted to punch it right off his stupid face. “Yeah? What is it?” Barbara smiled sweetly at him before hauling back and punching him square in the face. He grabbed his nose and cursed loudly, his friends jumping up with their own curses. Barbara felt herself snap and she started yelling, the whole lunchroom going quiet. “Just because everyone in this school is on their knees to suck your dick and kiss your ass doesn't mean you can fuck with people's feelings!” Her voice has raised and her hands are clenched in fists at her sides. She's glaring down at Michael who has absolutely no right to look as confused as he does. “He's a nice guy you prick! He didn't deserve you pulling this shit on him.” Her voice slipped into a downright venomous tone and she gave him a look that had even the others around him frozen still. “Don't you ever come near Gavin again, got it?” She waited for the shaky nod he gave her before spinning on her heel and walking back over to Gavin.

He looked shocked at the sight of Michael on the ground, holding his nose as blood dripped down over his lips and chin and Barbara rigid with rage. She drug him from the table and lead him from the silent lunchroom, still shaking slightly. _'Barbs? Are you okay?'_ He risked talking to her once they were out in the courtyard. She sucked in deep breaths of air, trying to calm down before she nodded. “Yeah, I was just so angry at him Gavin.” she muttered, rubbing at her face with her hands. “He won't bother you again though. If he does, tell me. Promise you will.” Gavin looked at her, blinking slightly before nodding. _'Yeah, of course.'_ She nodded and pulled Gavin into a tight hug, her pulse finally dipping back where it should be, especially when he hugged her back. It was normal, not the desperate and sad one he'd given her this morning. It was a relief, to feel him hugging her like nothing had happened. _'Thank you.'_ He smiled at her and she gently punched him in the shoulder. “Hey it's no problem. Don't go getting all sentimental and shit on me.” He laughed and it was nice to see his shoulders shake from something other than sadness.

As Michael sat in the lunchroom, blood drying on his face, he thought about the look on Gavin's face this morning when he saw him. He wanted to apologise, anything to get that sad look off of his face, but he couldn't bring himself to even approach him. The money in his pocket made him feel guilty and sick and he sighed. Barbara was right, he hurt Gavin for what? For money? What a petty, stupid thing to hurt someone's feelings for. Gavin always seemed really nice, he always smiled and gave people a wave, even if they didn't really care for him, it never seemed to deter his attempts to be friendly. Michael felt like a real asshole, he looked over at his friends, who were sitting on the other side of the table and he squinted. He was pretty lucky that Barbara didn't shatter his glasses with that punch of hers. “Hey you wanna clean the blood off your face buddy?” Geoff asked, offering Michael a bottle of water and some napkins. “Huh? Oh. Yeah probably should. Damn she hits hard.” The guys laughed and he started rubbing at the blood on his face, trying not to jostle his nose too badly.

When the bell rang, Michael pressed the money back into Ray's hand and walked off, ignoring the questioning glance he was given. He shouldered his bag and glared at anyone who dared to get too close to him. He never thought about Gavin too much, it was always the others who liked to tease him about him, but Michael never had a problem with Gavin. The first time they met was when they were first starting high school. Thinking back on it, he and Gavin could have been really great friends, had he not gotten an ego. It hit him that he had to fix this, he had to talk to Gavin. But how could he do that without Barbara making good on the unspoken threat when she told him to stay away from Gavin? Running a hand through his curly hair, he sighed heavily and threw himself into his seat. He was staring pointedly at the ceiling when he heard a familiar breathy laugh, followed by the warm laugh of Lindsay. How could he forget Gavin was in this class? He sat with Lindsay and they talked about theatre and how stressed director Heyman always was. If Michael's nose wasn't more than likely broken, he'd have slammed his face into the desk.

He didn't care about Gavin anymore, so why did it bother him so much that Gavin pointedly refused to look at him all class period? Why did it bother him that when Lindsay asked what happened today at lunch he just shrugged? Where did the heavy ball of guilt that sat in his stomach; making his insides feel like they were knotted up, come from? He tugged a hand roughly through his hair, relishing in the sting that his scalp gave as strands of hair were tugged on. The entire rest of the day Michael's thoughts were on Gavin and on what Barbara had said. He couldn't get it out of his mind, man he had really fucked up and he was lucky that the whole school wasn't out for his blood. Gavin was well liked, that was evident by the glares he received as he walked through the hallways to the entrance of the school. It really was obnoxious being glared at like that, he'd have to stop doing that to people. This should all blow over in a week, yeah. Then Gavin will start staring again and things would go back to normal. Everything would be alright. Right?

At the dawn of the third week since everything went down, Michael woke up to an uncomfortable weight in his chest. Michael was going absolutely insane. Gavin still refused to even look at him and for some reason, it really bugged him. He'd gotten so used to feeling Gavin's eyes on him, the way his ears would flush red and he'd get a really nervous little smile on his face. For almost four years he'd had Gavin's attention, even after he'd gotten really good at football and left the kid behind in the dust. Thinking about how he treated Gavin in the past made his chest ache and his throat clench up. Back when they were new to highschool, Michael met Gavin in a way that's only fitting for Gavin. Michael and Ray were talking about sports try-outs and which ones they were going to try out for when Gavin ran straight into Michael's chest. He tumbled over with a breathy squeak and Michael arched an eyebrow at the harried looking young man. His hair was messy and his eyes were bright as he stared up at Michael. He remembered idly that he'd thought Gavin was cute then and he cursed. He'd really been bad at realising any feelings he might have had.

Michael felt terrible when he got to school. He'd jammed a beanie on his head and shoved his hands into his pocket. He didn't want to be alone with his thoughts but he needed to breathe, to think, so he shoved headphones in and turned the music up as loud as he could stand before making his way to school. How had he and Gavin stopped talking again? Oh right, he got on the team and was too busy to hang out. Gavin didn't mind, he was excited for Michael, which he told him through several very rushed signs. It hit him that Gavin was why he still remembered how to sign, he hadn't put much thought into Gavin in a long while and it made him feel guilty. He hated not having Gavin's attention, it made him feel horrible, which he supposed he really deserved. Michael's hands clenched in his sweatshirt pocket and he resolved that he'd try and talk to Gavin as soon as he got to school. His resolve wavered a bit every time he got to school and saw Barbara standing there beside Gavin. Well, maybe next time. Besides, what would he even say?

Gavin was feeling better, he was back to his usual self, asking dumb questions and frustrating the trousers off of everyone around him. Despite the annoyance, most of the people he talked to were secretly very glad he was back to normal. He missed Michael, but the pang of hurt he felt when he thought about the curly haired man was enough to remind him just why he was ignoring him. Barbara was still obscenely protective of him, shadowing him any time he was in the hallway, however today he could breathe a bit easier. He loved Barbara, she was a great friend, but she was like a fire breathing dragon guarding a princess lately. Today she was out sick, so he found himself sitting over with Lindsay and listening quietly as she joked around with Monty and Miles. Her laughter was infectious, and even Gavin found himself smiling. She and Miles were talking about the Batman movie that had come out and Monty was working on some new design for a show he'd been wanting to make. The man was pretty talented, anyone could see that, if you could get him to show you his work. Kerry soon joined the table and Gavin rest his chin on his arms, he liked everyone sitting there, but he wasn't in the mood to talk. Despite feeling better, Gavin still felt out of sorts. When he would fall quiet; separate from the conversation, he felt jumbled, like a box of puzzle pieces that had yet to be assembled and instead were laid upon each other in a messy heap. It made his head hurt and he sighed.

When Michael got to school, he noticed Gavin was definitely not with Barbara and his heart gave a leap. Maybe he could try talking to Gavin, to apologise for standing him up. He'd wanted to apologise for it when it happened but his pride wouldn't let him and it was definitely going to be his undoing. Michael stood a few feet away, hovering kind of awkwardly over by some lockers and he worried at his lip. He watched Gavin laugh quietly with Lindsay, his shoulders shaking with his silent laughter and Michael found himself wanting to be the one who made Gavin laugh that way, silent tears running down his cheeks, his arms around his middle as he laughed hard enough to make him double over. He wanted to be the one to cause such happiness, it was so much better than the broken, hurt look he wore when he last looked at Michael. He watched the way Gavin's body language shifted with his mood, everything about the boy was expressive. Gavin was standing at his locker with Lindsay still and Michael sucked in a deep breath, steeling himself before walking over to them both. “Hey Gavin.” Gavin looked at him, eyes wide for a moment before Michael watched him seem to shrink in on himself. It hurt knowing that he was the reason Gavin wasn't smiling anymore. _'What do you want Michael?'_


	3. Gavin has enough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Michael puts his foot in his mouth and Gavin lays down the law.

Michael floundered around at first, trying to come up with something to say, but he was drawing a blank. What did he want to say? His brain had seemingly shut down, abandoned him to trip over his tongue like a moron. He opened his mouth, trying to force himself to speak as Gavin started looking uncomfortable. “Er, m'sorry.” Gavin waved his hand dismissively and sighed softly. _'Listen mate, I'm not even supposed to be talking to you, for my own bloody sanity. So how about we pretend this didn't happen and I won't tell Barbs. As a non-apology for her nearly breaking your nose.'_ Michael's heart dropped as Gavin ignored his apology and he nodded weakly. Of course Gavin wasn't going to accept it, he didn't deserve Gavin's forgiveness or attention again. Not after being a huge dick and breaking his heart. He couldn't even force himself to talk again, just settling for nodding again and backing up. Gavin watched him walk away, green eyes sharp with a hint of sadness. Michael's heart hurt and it felt like his stomach dropped into nothingness. 

As he walked away, Michael realised he messed up this time, but he didn't want to give up. It was one of those cliché moments thought only to exist in movies. The moment where it's realised by the main other half in a romantic comedy that they had no idea what they had until it was gone. Michael scoffed, hands shoved in his pockets and shoulders slumped. He didn't know if he'd ever get another chance. Life wasn't a movie. It didn't always end with two people falling in love and living happily ever after. Even if the self-centered jock realised how wrong he was. He knew Gavin wasn't happy, or maybe it was a matter of perception on his part. But he had to fix this, somehow he had to show Gavin that he was really sorry. But how could he do that? Michael cursed and rubbed his forehead, slumping his shoulders even further. He made his way into his next classroom and slumped down into his chair. It wasn't like with the girlfriends Michael had previously had. There wasn't a relationship between them before; well, in a way they did have a relationship, but it wasn't romantic. He couldn't just buy flowers and promise to never do it again. For once, Michael Jones wasn't going to be able to charm his way out of his mistake. 

Gavin felt separate from everyone again, he stopped listening to Lindsay as she chatted on eagerly. It wasn't that he didn't care or didn't want to listen to what she was saying, he just spaced out. His mind was divorced from reality at the moment, thinking on the way Michael had looked before he came over. Gavin wasn't stupid however, he knew Michael's reputation. His reputation of being a playboy who won people over with his charm. It made Gavin's mouth taste bitter and he grimaced, drawing notice from Lindsay. She waved a hand in front of his face, a worried look on her own. “Gavin? Earth to Gavin are you in there?” Gavin snapped out of his reverie, blinking slightly before looking on at her with confusion. _'Ah, yes I'm alright Linds. I guess I just slipped off there. Sorry love.'_ He gave her an apologetic smile and she chuckled, throwing an arm around his shoulder before continuing to talk about Monty's new project, something called RWBY. Gavin forced himself to focus on what she was saying as they entered the classroom and he had to agree, it did sound amazing. With the help of his friends, Gavin started to feel normal again. They encouraged him to go out with them, to be social and go out to parties with them until he was smiling much lighter. There was less tension to his shoulders and his smiles came with ease now. 

It was another week before Michael tried to talk to Gavin again, they were three months from the end of their senior year. Both boys had seemingly bounced back, Gavin was smiling again and Michael was back hanging out with his friends, no longer snapping at everyone who so much as looked at him. Maybe it was the fact they were close to the end of the year, Michael didn't know, but something drove him to try again. He had to fix this before they never saw each other again. Michael was sitting outside with his friends, enjoying the warm sunshine when Ray spoke. “Man, I don't know why you're so adamant about fixing this shit with him, who cares dude.” Ray was next to Michael, stretched out on the grass out in the quad. Shrugging, Michael wrapped his arms around his knees and looked at the grass. “I dunno, I feel bad for being such a douche. Guess I just want to fix this before we graduate.” Ray snorted, rolling his eyes. His fingers tapped idly against the grass, grimacing slightly at the feeling. “Dude, you'll never see him again, who the hell cares? Maybe he shouldn't have been so sensitive.” The last part was mumbled as an after thought but it made Michael grit his teeth. The very thought frustrated him, the way Ray said it so flippantly. “Shut the fuck up. It was your shitty bet that got me into this fucking mess.” Ray rolled his eyes again and sat up, crossing his legs and picking at the grass between them. “Should have just worn the dress buddy.” Michael punched Geoff in the shoulder and pushed himself to his feet, walking off with the sound of Geoff's laughter behind him. His friends were fucking dicks.

He could see Barbara and Gavin sitting together under a tree. Gavin was propped against her knees, signing something in a lazy, happy way and Barbara was laughing. Monty, Kerry and Miles were sitting together in a tight circle, looking at something Monty was holding in his lap and Lindsay was stretched out beside Barbara, eyes closed as she enjoyed the sunshine. Gavin was telling Barbara and Lindsay a story about something he and Dan had done while videoing something for their Slow Mo channel. They'd been blowing up paint and Dan had gotten a piece of glass in his finger. He hadn't even realised there was glass in it until a few months later when he was getting an x-ray for something else and there was a foreign object in his hand. Barbara was chuckling softly and Lindsay was humming softly, toes tapping lightly against the grass. It felt very normal, very relaxed and enjoyable. He'd grown fairly close to all the people sitting with him over his time, and Gavin was not looking forward to graduating because of it. _'Guys, are we still gonna see each other after graduating?'_ Lindsay looked over at him and smiled. “Of course we are! We're all friends Gavin! We're definitely going to continue talking! Graduation isn't gonna make us not be friends after all.” Gavin gave a weak smile and nodded. _'I'm glad. You lot are absolutely top, I'd be miserable if we weren't friends anymore I think.'_ Barbara smiled a bit and pat the top of his head with a chuckle. “It's gonna be alright Gav, we're not going anywhere.”

Michael should have just turned around and left, that would have been the smart thing to do. His fingers twitched nervously at his sides and he debated turning around, but nobody said Michael was very smart. He walked over to the group, despite everything in the back of his mind telling him to turn around. Gavin looked up at him, hands stilling in the middle of his signing and he furrowed his eyebrows slightly. _'Michael?'_ Michael flashed him a light smile and ignored the look Barbara gave him. “Hey Gav. Can we talk?” Gavin bit his lip and looked up at Barbara who grimaced. Nodding weakly, Gavin pushed himself off the ground and stood, gesturing a few feet away. They walked over and Michael tucked his hands into his pockets, aware of everyone's eyes on him. _'What did you want Michael?'_ Gavin looked nervous, hesitant to speak to Michael. “I need to apologise to you. I made a really bad mistake and I want to apologise for it.” Michael looked at Gavin hopefully. He bit his lip, wringing his hands together nervously. _'I'm sorry Michael, but you really bloody hurt me. I don't think I can forgive you for this one.'_ Michael felt anger bubbling up in his chest and his lip started to curl into a sneer. “What the hell Gavin? Why can't you accept the fact that I made a mistake like I accept the fact that you can't talk?”

As soon as Michael said it, he felt an instant pang of regret. “Wait. Gav. I'm sorry, shit.” Gavin's mouth was set in a hard line and he thrust his hand up to stop Michael's flood of words. _'I've put up with a lot from you Michael, we used to be friends. Remember? Don't you dare bring my speech problem into this. You've gotten by on your good looks and charm and you're a damn child. You think that just because you're popular that you can just faff about with people's feelings.'_ Gavin's hands were clenched in fists and he was trembling. _'How dare you. You have absolutely no right to bring that up! You were the one person who never gave me a fit about it. Take your apology and shove it Michael Jones. Don't you talk to me until you've grown up!'_ The slap that followed Gavin's words hurt less than the words themselves as he watched Gavin stalk away back over to Barbara. Good fucking job Michael Jones. He rubbed his cheek weakly and watched Gavin bury his face into her knees. Everyone was glaring at him and Michael cursed, stomping back over to his own friends.

Michael dropped onto the grass with everyone and ignored the smirk Ray gave him, he laid down on the grass and grimaced slightly. Griffon gave him a sympathetic smile and stroked his hair slowly. “Didn't go so well did it sweetie?” He sighed and turned to press his face against her leg. “He slapped me.” Griffon was always someone he could talk to when things weren't going too well. She always had advice to share with him, Griffon was always like everyone's older sister. “Michael, he might just need a chance to calm down. Sweetie it's only been a month, you broke his heart, it's going to take time for him to forgive you.” Michael sighed softly, tilting his head to look at her slightly. “I guess...he said I needed to grow up, what the fuck does that mean?” Griffon smiled kindly and stroked his hair again, fingers curling lightly in his curls. “That's something you'll have to figure out on your own kiddo. It's gonna take time, but you can do it. You're a smart guy.” He sighed and rubbed at his eyes slightly. “I wish I hadn't done that to him. I've never regretted anything as much as I do that.” Griffon chuckled softly and looked at him, brushing curls from his eyes. “You're learning already Michael. That's the first step to growing up.” He smiled a bit and chuckled. “Thanks Griffon, I really appreciate it.” She just nodded and Michael enjoyed the feeling of her fingers stroking through his hair as he closed his eyes. 

Things were still really wrong, but he'd give Gavin as much time as he needed. Even though it hurt him to know that his once friend wanted nothing to do with him. Who knows, if he wanted to trust Michael again, he'd find him again somehow. If they were meant to be together, he'd figure out what the other had meant by 'grow up'. He should have figured it out on his own, but maybe time away from Gavin would give him time to clear his head a bit.

Gavin had his head still resting against Barbara's knees, thinking on what Michael had said. Did he really mean what he said? Was being mute really a terrible thing? Did Michael really hate him for not being able to talk? Gavin rubbed his eyes slightly, turning his head to bury his face against her knees. He just needed time to heal, that's all. Michael was just as upset as Gavin had been, and being in the same school together? It just wasn't a good environment. Gavin hoped that telling Michael to grow up before they talked again would help them both heal and grow and maybe things would be okay between them. He didn't want to give up on them either.


	4. Surprise surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Gavin is excited, Dan is protective, and Michael has grown up.

Graduation was upon them all before they knew it, Gavin was excited to go back to England for the summer to film some more with Dan. He was practically bouncing on his toes as he told Lindsay and Barbara that Dan was moving to the states so they wouldn't be so far apart. He'd missed his best friend immensely and he was practically vibrating with energy at the very thought. They'd both be going to college together at RT University, studying filmography. Lindsay and Barbara were happy for him, Gavin was happy and it was as if the incident from three months ago had never even happened. It was a real relief for Barbara, she'd been worried about him for a long while. But the smiles on his face were bright and brilliant and Michael didn't try and talk to him after whatever happened in the quad the last time. She hadn't been able to make out what Gavin had signed, and he refused to talk about it, leaving everyone pretty much in the dark. Barbara guessed she'd been spacing out due to the sudden appearance of Gavin very close to her face. _'Barbs? Are you listening??'_ He waved his hand insistently and she put her hand in the middle of his face, pushing lightly and laughing. “Yeah yeah I'm listening Gav. Just get your face out of mine, you're gonna put my eye out with that nose of yours.” Gavin started to pout, arms crossed and lip jutted out as Lindsay and Barbara burst into laughter.

Michael's guilt had eased and it gave him time to contemplate his feelings for Gavin, the feelings he knew he would have to come to terms with in order to 'grow up'. It still made no sense, what in the hell was he supposed to do? He didn't have time to contemplate it too much however, not with the looming promise of graduation and the summer after that. He'd been accepted to RT University for something other than sports; much to his father's frustration. He wanted to work with computers, video games in specific. But what wasn't covered by his scholarship had to be covered by him. So as soon as graduation rolled around and everyone else was out partying or doing whatever they did after graduation, Michael was going to work. He was thrilled, the prospect of finally doing something for himself was exciting. All his life he'd worked at making his dad happy and doing what his dad wanted, but now? He was going to do something for him. He was doing it for himself, and maybe a tiny bit for Gavin. To show the other that he could change and he wouldn't always be the way he once was.

Summer went by too quickly, Gavin sent Barbara and Lindsay tons of pictures of he and Dan doing various things and they in return sent pictures of them doing various things. They also sent pictures of Monty's new character designs and the scripts with their names on it for the new show they'd be voicing. Gavin was ecstatic, his friends were doing so well and it was incredibly exciting. Lindsay had always wanted to get into acting and voice was a very good first start. They talked back and forth about how Monty's show was going, that they'd worked on the first few episodes and they'd been pretty well received so far. Gavin told them about how he and Dan had found out they'd be in a room together with one other boy. They talked about plans for a possible end of summer barbeque at Geoff's house of all places. Gavin wasn't sure he wanted to go, though he did enjoy Griffon's company. She spent a lot of time making sure he didn't lose his fingers in shop class. In the end, he decided not to go, much to the disappointment of several people. He and Dan had a lot of planning left to do after all. They had a lot to sort through if they were planning on starting college in the Fall.

It was a mess trying to get Gavin to the college with all of his stuff intact. Dan loved his B infinitely, but the man was a frustrating mess sometimes. He nearly lost his bags a few times before they even reached their room. One time in the car, because they weren't strapped down properly. One time when they reached the campus because Gavin nearly walked off with them at the curb still. And finally on their way to the dorm because his attention span was significantly shorter than normal and he left them sitting next to a bench when he ran to look at something. Suffice it to say, Dan's patience was starting to wear. Eventually, they made it to their room and Gavin was quick to claim a bed by the window. He was ecstatic, energy radiating off of him like warmth from the sun and Dan just shook his head, chuckling a bit as he started setting stuff down by his own bed. They'd brought very little with them at first, that way they would be able to look at the room. Gavin was grinning and spinning around in circles with his arms out wide, usually managing to smack Dan with each rotation. He was about to say something when suddenly Gavin stumbled into his side and stared at the door, whole body trembling from the disorientation of his spinning. _'Michael?'_ At the confused sign, Dan's head snapped up. Michael? Dan had heard more than his fair share about the curly haired jock who absolutely destroyed his B's heart in high school.

Sure enough, Michael Jones was standing in the doorway of their room, a dufflebag thrown over one shoulder and a box in his arms. If one looked closely, they would see his hands trembling slightly, his jaw clenched as he moved. “Hey Gavin.” he walked past Dan; who's hands were clenched in annoyance, and set his box on the unclaimed bed on the other end of the room from Gavin. Brown eyes moved over to the sandy haired man beside him and Dan grimaced slightly. He looked absolutely shell-shocked. That was obviously not something he was expecting. Dan put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze, looking at Gavin with a concerned smile. The smile he was given in return was just as bright as ever and he let his hand fall, getting back to organising his small portion of the room. It took him only a few seconds before his curiosity got the best of him. “What are you doing here? How in the bloody hell did you get a room with us of all people? Our names aren't even close enough for that to be how.” Dan was suspicious, and perhaps justifiably so. Michael set his duffle on the bed and started unboxing the small box he'd carried in. “Well, who knows. Luck of the draw I guess.” his shoulders lifted in a shrug but he didn't say anything more. Gavin was trembling with a nervous sort of energy and Dan watched him move back to his side of the room again. The tension in the room was heavy and Dan found himself thinking that the only way being between their beds would be worse, would be if the tension was sexual. Which thinking on it, it might eventually become.

Gavin was like a bowstring that was progressively getting tighter and tighter, it was obvious that it was only a matter of time before he snapped and decided to speak. The room had been in a tense silence that made Dan's shoulders ache with the proverbial weight of it and he wore a grimace through most of it. _'B! Get Michael's attention yeah?'_ Gavin's signing caught Dan's eye and he looked over in time to get that he wanted to talk to Michael. Every part of his brain screamed it might not be a good idea, but either way Gavin would talk to Michael, at least this way he was between the two of them. “Oi, Michael. Gav wants to talk to you.” The curly haired man stopped, fingers stilling in the box and he straightened, looking over at Gavin. He was glad to be several feet away so neither of his other room mates could see how he shook with nerves. “Yeah? What is it?” He was nervous and thrilled that Gavin was actually talking to him, that's something he never thought would happen. _'What are you here to study mate? This is a pretty tough school to get into and as far as I know there's no sports team or anything here.'_ Michael found himself laughing a bit and shaking his head. “Nah, I'm not here on a sports scholarship or anything dude. I'm here to work on video game design actually.” Gavin seemed excited by the concept and he bounced a bit on his toes, grinning.

_'That sounds top! I had no idea you wanted to do something like that! B and I are here to study filmography. We want to continue working on our slow motion stuff. Like we did in highschool.'_ Gavin was beaming, looking over at Dan who lifted his shoulders in a shrug. Michael chuckled a bit and arched an eyebrow, looking at Dan as well. “I didn't do much of what I liked in high school honestly. So what kind of name is B?” Gavin flailed his hands around and Dan snorted. “M'name's not B you dope. It's Dan. B is a nickname obviously.” Laughing a bit, Michael rubbed the back of his neck and tried to focus on what Gavin was signing rapidly. It felt comfortable, almost normal again and the realisation made his shoulders relax, the tension seeping away like water. All except for the look Dan was giving him, one that plainly said he hardly trusted Michael. _'How've you been after high school?'_ The question threw Michael off for a moment and he blinked owlishly. Right, he asked a question. Answering would probably be really nice. “Oh, y'know. I did a tiny bit of travelling and then got a job. Scholarship doesn't cover everything here. It's not like a sports one.” Gavin nodded slowly, shifting around awkwardly for a long moment before Michael speaks again.

“Gavin, can we talk? Please?” His voice is so hopeful, an edge of nervousness to his words and Gavin nods. _'Yes of course you donut. What do you want to talk about?'_ Michael's gaze moves to Dan, questioningly, as if wondering if Dan has to be here. The look on his face answers the silent question and Michael drops it. “I made a really dumb mistake when we were in high school. I treated you like shit because I let my pride get the best of me. I didn't deserve someone like you to be interested in me but I was so self absorbed I didn't realise it until after I hurt you.” Michael's voice was sincere, an apologetic look on his face as he spoke. It made Gavin's heart ache in a way he'd never experienced. He was quiet for a long time, watching Michael closely, noting the way he shifted nervously from side to side. The apology was something he never thought would come out this sincerely, and it made him want to throw himself into Michael's arms, to press kisses to those dumb, perfect pouty lips.

_'You learned, you grew up.'_ He smiled, a slow spread of his lips as he watched Michael. It was a relief, Gavin was talking to him, he wasn't going to tell him to leave. He accepted the apology, no fighting like they once did. Michael's shoulders dipped in relief and he smiled a bit. “If I could, I'd like to go out for coffee with you. If you're willing to give me a second chance.” He looked hopeful again and it made Dan grimace, looking at Gavin. He nodded and Dan wanted to smack his face into a nearby wall. “You're too trusting B.” he sighed, fingers curling as they ran through dark hair. He fixed Michael with a look that very nearly sent the other shrinking away, but he squared his shoulders and tried to give Dan a look that said he wasn't going to be intimidated; even if Dan looked like he could tear him to pieces. _'I'm a bit worried about how this situation is gonna work with us as room mates though. I mean, you hurt my feelings pretty dang bad Michael, I have a feeling it might be awkward at first.'_ Michael nodded, shifting his weight from one foot to another as he stood by his bed. “I understand. I can't expect you to act like nothing ever happened. That's literally the worst fucking idea ever.”

Gavin laughed, shoulders shaking and Michael rolled his eyes, lips twitching into a small smirk as Dan watched on. “I don't trust you to take him on a date.” both Michael and Gavin moved their attention to Dan, who had been previously very quiet. He crossed his arms and fixed Michael with a stern gaze. He looked confused, a hand moving to tug through curly hair. “I'm not gonna do anything to him dude.” Dan's lip curled in annoyance and he looked at Michael with a glare that actually did make him shrink a bit, curling half into himself. “If you're going out to coffee, I'm going with you. No arguments. I'm not leaving B alone with you.” The authoritative tone in Dan's voice made Michael close his mouth with a click and Gavin shoved his hands in his pockets, huffing and pouting at his friend. It wasn't up for debate, that much was definitely clear. Michael sighed and shrugged “Fine, whatever, come along if you want.” if he wanted to get back in Gavin's good graces he might as well start by making nice with Dan after all. “It won't be tonight, we've got way too much to do to mess about with distractions such as coffee.” His words were true, even if they sent both boys grumbling off to continue unpacking.

It was a week later, nearing the weekend when Gavin breezed into the room, a wide grin on his face and his nose red from the cold. Michael was laying across his bed, a book propped in front of him and Dan was reclining back against his headboard. _'It's bloody cold out there! I thought I was gonna freeze my nose off.'_ Dan snorted and grabbed a pillow at him, throwing it and catching Gavin square in the face. Needless to say Gavin flailed his arms around and hit the ground with a loud thump. “Why didn't you cover your nose and mouth you dope. You use your hands to talk anyway.” Gavin waved something along the lines of “I didn't think about it” and the two who had previously been in the room rolled their eyes. In between all of their classes, the three had gotten along pretty well. They'd all three settled into a pretty easy acquaintanceship and often times found themselves playing video games together. Gavin flopped onto Dan's bed, laying himself rather ungracefully across his legs. _'C'mon lads, let's go get some coffee. I'm starving and that diner Michael was talking about sounds absolutely top right now.'_ Dan looked over at Michael who shrugged before pushing himself off the bed. “Yeah we could do that.” Michael knew their initial conversation hadn't been forgotten at all, and he looked at Dan before pulling on a dark hoodie.

It took longer than it should have for them to leave the dorm, considering Gavin had already been dressed for outside when they decided to go get food. But eventually the three found themselves outside, walking and watching their breath come out in puffs of white in the cold air. Gavin was like a child, crunching the leaves with a gleeful smile as Michael laughed softly, unaware of the way Dan watched him, gauging his actions. The diner was fairly close by, a brightly lit little place that welcomed them with warmth and cheerful old music. The waitress that greeted them was pretty and smiled pleasantly as she told them to take a seat. Gavin sat next to Dan and he bounced his toes, fingers tapping lightly against the table in eagerness. Michael was glad when the lady brought them their coffee so Gavin was distracted and would stop shaking the table. The coffee was absolutely incredible and Dan was able to ignore the bickering between Michael and Gavin because the latter wanted to order something off a kids menu and he was bitching about it. What children.

Over all, the dinner went well, Dan didn't talk much, instead focusing on just listening to them talk about various things. Michael kept the focus mainly on Gavin, only talking about himself when Gavin brought it up. Dan liked the kid well enough, but he still wasn't sure about whether or not he was good enough for B. He still wasn't sure that the apology was sincere enough, that Michael had really grown up like Gavin claimed. He had to be certain that Michael wasn't going to pull the same stunt that sent Gavin crying to him over skype, his face a mess of tears and his signing even worse. He didn't think he could stomach another broken heart for his best friend. At the end of the night, he could see the way Gavin smiled, the way that Michael looked at him when he was fiddling around with something else. Michael had grown up, he was still wary of trusting him, but Dan wanted Gavin happy more than anything else in the world after all. After they paid, Dan took Michael aside, hands shoved in his pockets as he focused his gaze on his trainers. Needless to say, Michael felt small in his presence, despite their heights being fairly close, Dan just had this air of power and intimidation around him.

It was quiet, almost awkwardly so before he finally spoke. "You've gotta understand why I'm wary of trusting you mate. B. He's a good lad but he's really too trusting. I've watched him get hurt many times because of careless trust and it's difficult to see." he crossed his arms and sighed, tilting his head back to look at the sky. "You're the one who hurt him most and to have you around and have him forgive you so easily. It's nerve wrecking. Gav's a good guy, but he's often too quick to forgive. So while I agree you've grown up since that prick you were before, I still don't trust you. Especially not with Gavin." Michael's throat felt tight but he nodded, he straightened, squaring his shoulders and clearing his throat to fend of the tightness to his words. "I understand, I was a fucking dick to him. If you trusted me, hell I'd worry about your sanity." Dan chuckled softly, shaking his head and straightening. “Listen mate. If you hurt Gavin, I'll kick your arse to kingdom come and back. I promise you.” Michael swallowed and nodded, those words carried an air of a promise, it wasn't an empty threat. Dan would actually kick his ass if he hurt Gavin again, but the knowledge that he had his approval made Michael grin. “Yeah, I know.”

It was that approval that had him catching up to Gavin when he finally made his way out into the cold night, pulling his collar up with a shiver. _'Hi Michael.'_ Gavin was smiling and Michael offered him a shy little smile, one that he'd found himself giving the other many times. “Hey Gavin.” They walked on in silence for a short while, Dan having slipped behind them at a respectable distance. Their hands hung between them, barely brushing with the lingering hope of something more. It was a tease, feeling the warmth coming from the other's hand waiting for one of them to go for it and take the initiative. Somewhere along the way, Michael plucked up the courage to grab Gavin's hand, holding it gingerly before long, slender fingers twined with his own and a smile curled his lips. Gavin's hand felt perfect in his own, their fingers twining perfectly with each other. It was a lovely walk, down a wide path, surrounded by trees on either side. Benches dotted the way and every so often there was a couple as they passed. They'd reached the edge of campus and Gavin leaned in, kissing his cheek, which wrenched a smile from Michael as well. Dan watched from a distance, smiling despite himself, Gavin seemed happy and Michael wasn't too terrible a person. They paused, Michael cupping Gavin's cheek with his free hand and pressing their lips together in a chaste kiss, standing on his toes to reach the taller man easier. The smile that Gavin wore made Dan shake his head. "What dopes."

Yeah, things were going to be absolutely great. It was going to be a great year.


End file.
